Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA)

An MRA uses a large magnet, radiowaves, and a computer to provide detailed images of the arteries and veins that cannot be obtained with conventional x-rays. These images, displayed on films, help physicians diagnose many neurological disorders and develop an effective treatment plan.

How to Prepare

On the day of your exam, you will be asked to fill out a special questionnaire to ensure that an MRA is a safe procedure for you. Please arrive about 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment to fill out this questionnaire.

Do not wear makeup or anything metallic to the test, such as jewelry or hair clips.

You might receive a sedative to help you relax during this procedure (see "Appointment/Admission Instructions," page 12). As a precaution, please arrange for a friend or family member to drive you home.

You may eat and drink as usual and remain active right up until the time of your appointment.

What to Expect

Before your test, you will be asked to disrobe and put on a hospital gown. For your safety, you will be asked to remove any jewelry, watches, dentures, partial plates, hearing aids, and hair clips before your MRA scan. Please leave all valuables at home.

Next you will be taken to the MRA examination room, where a technologist will help you onto a narrow table. You will be positioned on your back with your arms at your sides and your head in a headrest.

Any movement during the test can make the MRA images blurry. Therefore, the technologist may place straps around your head and body to help you keep still.

When everything is ready, the table will automatically slide into a long, hollow, cylindrical chamber. During the test, you will not experience pain or unusual feelings of any kind. You will, however, hear intermittent banging and thumping sounds produced by the magnetic field at work, which can be quite noisy. The technologist will provide earplugs for your hearing protection. An intercom system will allow you to talk with the technologist, if necessary.

This procedure takes 30 to 45 minutes. Afterward, the technologist will help you off the table and assist you with your personal belongings.

If you receive a sedative to help you relax during your procedure, please have a family member or friend drive you home. You may resume your normal activities immediately, unless you are still drowsy from the sedative. In that case, you will need to rest.

Additional Instructions

If you have a pacemaker, artificial heart valves, ear implants, surgical clips, joint or bone clips, or metal plates, or if you even suspect you have anything else metallic in your body, such as unremoved bullets, shrapnel, or a BB shot, tell your CINN physician before undergoing the MRA. These materials may interfere with the examination and could even cause you injury. (Metallic dental fillings, however, do not pose a risk.)

Also, tell your CINN physician in advance if you are pregnant or have a history of claustrophobia (fear of closed-in places). If you are claustrophobic, you will be given a prescription for a sedative prior to your appointment. Please be sure to take the medication as directed on the container.